Manny Machado will skip Orioles FanFest and Adam Jones has concerns about it

The already fracturing relationship between the Baltimore Orioles and All-Star third baseman Manny Machado may have suffered further damage on Friday.

In an email sent to fans less than 24 hours before Saturday’s FanFest in Baltimore, the Orioles announced that Machado would no longer be attending the event.

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MASN Sports’ Roch Kubatko reports that the team is offering refunds to fans who had purchased autograph vouchers. It’s also reported that Machado’s absence is due to a “private matter” that’s not believed to be serious. Beyond that, one team official indicated Machado’s decision to skip the event he’s been advertised for all winter isn’t fueled by the recent trade rumors that have been floating around.

Whatever the circumstances are, Machado’s decision to pull out is a major disappointment to many in the organization. That includes All-Star outfielder Adam Jones, who has shared the field with Machado for the last six seasons.

As he often does, Jones took to Twitter to express a combination of disappointment over Machado backing out and concern that his teammate’s time in Baltimore might be ending soon.

To be fair to Machado, he’s not the only Orioles player to pull out. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop has informed the team he won’t be appearing. No explanation for his decision has been reported. First baseman Chris Davis won’t be there either, though he was granted permission to stay home in Dallas after his wife gave birth to twin girls on Tuesday.

Despite the humor, it’s clear Jones isn’t thrilled with these developments. Overall, there’s a lot less enthusiasm heading into the FanFest than there was before Friday.

With that in mind, there will be a lot less awkwardness too without Machado around. The young superstar’s days in Baltimore appear to be numbered one way or the other. If he’s not traded before or during the season, he’s expected to leave in free agency afterwards. While some fans may have wanted a chance to say goodbye, others probably wouldn’t have been shy about expressing opinions about where this relationship appears to be headed.

Unfortunately for the players and coaches who will be in attendance, Machado’s status is something they won’t be able to avoid. Until Machado is gone or he addresses the situation himself, his status will dominate every conversation surrounding the Orioles.